PR and reputation blog written by Jonathan Welsh, an award-winning PR expert based in Manchester and working nationally and internationally. Former MP's assistant, senior director at a global PR firm, and married father of two.

Monday, 26 July 2010

"Brokeback Coalition" was a crude and rather flippant put down *allegedly* by David Davis but it was just the latest in a long line of snide remarks from alienated grassroots members of both the Tories and the Liberal Democrats.

David Cameron and Nick Clegg's senior teams are undoubtedly prepared for these attacks and have so far adopted consistent rebuttals without appearing to worry about them.

What the coalition aren't prepared for at this early stage is off message briefings from the front line. This is exactly what has started to happen with the Lib Dems though whose Ministers seem to be unable to turn down the chance to speak into a microphone without considering the implications first.

From Clegg's attack on Jack Straw at PMQs to Lynne Featherstone's rantings over woman's breasts, the party seems incapable of learning from David Laws' early blunder.

All these issues pale into comparison when compared to Vince Cable.

Vince Cable, the man who could do no wrong is no Vince the feeble, a man choking on his famous 'Mr Bean' criticism of Gordon Brown.

This compromise is undermining the coalition's fiscal credibility at a crucial time for the economy. There is no time to play the hard done man, Cable must commit himself to the work of government and designate more briefings or Osborne and Cameron must remove him.

With every mixed message the dissenting party voices will grow bolder. The PM needs to find out if Cable can truly commit to the work ahead and if not he simply must remove him from office before Christmas.